30

Michael was waiting at the entrance of the studio, looking young and ravishingly handsome as she remembered him to be, when she arrived. He was her cousin, who'd come to LA to school before she did, after his mother, her eldest aunt, had died from cancer.

He'd been lucky to have been retained as a pharmacist where he'd worked during his internship, but Tahti knew it wasn't just because he was lucky, it had been due to his good looks.

Tons of girls fell for him like tons of hot bricks, but she knew they'd only end up having heartbreaks, because he could only reciprocate feelings from people of the same sex.

"Michael." She smiled and he spread out his arms before she ran into them, glad to be in her big brother's embrace, after a long while.

"Happy belated birthday, love." He said and she pulled away to look him in the face.

"You didn't call." She pouted and he raised a hand to pat her hair, a gesture she'd hated back in high school, but got to like as she grew.

"I'm sorry. I was stuck up with work at the office yesterday...I'll make it up to you, I promise." He said and dipped his hand into his bagpack to take out a well wrapped package, which she couldn't wait to unwrap.

"Here it is." He said as he handed it over to her.

"Thanks, Michael."

"Don't mention. I'll wire your birthday present before the day runs out." He said and she smiled again. Trust her big cousin to always do stuffs like that.

"Thanks."

She replied and he raised his hand to glance down at his wristwatch, which if she wasn't mistaken, was a most expensive one. Clearly, Michael spent a good proportion of his salary on his personal appearance, if his clothes and accessories were anything to go by.

"I should run along now. I'm running late."

"Okay."

He cupped the back of her dad and pulled her closer to a peck on the forehead.

"I'll see you later." He said and turned towards his silver grey sedan.

She hade him goodbye after he'd wound down his rear window's mirror to throw a wink her way and returned her eyes to the package. Her aunt always had her way of making her smile.

"Are you two close?"

She whirled round to find Demir, walking towards her as he took out a lollipop from his mouth. Was it her or had she detected a hint of odd note in his voice? Was it perhaps... jealousy?

"Of course. He's my cousin, silly." She said as he neared, eying her as though she was a chocolate eclair and he were a compulsive eater.

"It looks good on you."

"Well, the model is pretty." She replied, with a tilt of her head as he leaned forward, a smile playing on his lips as he closed in on between them.

"You're right."

She froze as her insides tightened on how he close h was at the moment. Dear Lord, how did he manage to make her heart race everytime he was in front of her?

"I almost forgot. I made up with my mom." She said, recalling her mother had called her earlier that morning, to apologise for screwing up on her birthday. "Well, it was more like I just listened to her talk and then hang up."

"You did well."

Hearing him compliment her was enough to drive away her worries for the day, but she would be an idiot if she told him that.

"What about you?" She threw. "You went to see your friend?"

The smile on his face disappeared into a frown and she wondered if she'd upset him by asking.

"It wasn't anything good."

He was drawing the line again, she noticed sadly. She kept opening up to him about her personal life and other related stuffs but he kept things about him in the dark, she thought as she lowered her eyes to see he was holding a lollipop.

"Why aren't you giving me one?" She asked as she raised her head to look him in the face. "What flavor is it?"

She resisted the urge to lick her lips as she watched him raise the lollipop to his mouth, with a mischievous grin on his lips.

He took it out the lollipop and surprised her bu pressing feathered lips on hers.

Her heart raced madly as his tongue soared into her mouth and she was about to curve a hand around the back of his neck, when she recalled they were at school.

She pulled back to clasp a hand over her surprised mouth before turning to see if anyone had seen them. Fortunately, no one had.

She slanted he back to see he still had that mischievous smile on his lips. "Are you crazy? We're at school."

He sighed as he raised a hand to pat her hair. "A pretty girl was asking me what the flavor of my candy was and I wanted to show her."

"I was only looking at your candy. Who said I wanted you to kiss me?"

"Are you sure about that?" He asked and she thinned her lips in response, knowing he's caught her lying again.

"Is it good?"

"What is?" She asked and he kissed her again, a brief but tender one this time.

"This." He replied and she looked away as she tightly pressed her lips against each other.

"It's not."

"Really?"

A call came into his phone and she returned her eyes to watch him take out his phone to look at the caller ID.

"I have to go now. I have a class."

"oh.. okay." She replied and he smiled as he trailed a finger around her jaw, to tilt up her face.

"I'll see you later."

His eyes kept clinging to him as he turned to leave, hoping their relationship would always be like that.

"Tahti..." Someone called as she was about to head back into the studio and she turned, her expression turning sour on seeing the least person she wanted to see at the moment.

"It's been a while." Ralph, her ex boyfriend said as he walked towards her, wearing his usual grim and looking like he'd lost his world and Tahti wondered what had attracted her to him in the first place.

"What are you doing here?"

"Tahti, have you had lunch yet? We could grab..."

"Cut to the chase. What in heaven's name are you doing here?" She but out, with a glare.

He raked his fingers through his tousled hair, as if it was to give him a more cooler look. "Tahti... I'm really heartbroken. I've been in a lot of pain."

"Why are you here? I'm not gonna ask again." She said and he sighed his frustration.

"I heard the rumors. A lot of my students attend your school and they keep telling me things about you, even if I try not to listen."

She frowned, trying to look undaunted as she directed her attention to him. "What do you mean?"

"I heard you're seeing a jerk named Demir Wilson or something like that. I heard he's sleeping with every girl in the department and I was so shocked when I heard you're going out with him. "He said and walked closer to reduce the distance between them and in a moment of weakness, she staggered to hit her back against the railing.

How was that possible? She and Demir were secretive as they could have ever be. How had rumors about them come up so quickly? Even April wasn't aware of their relationship, so where had things gone wrong?

"You know...I don't enjoy hearing such about my ex...You should just date me instead."

Tahti's knees wanted to buckle from under her, but she rolled her eyes to push him from her, refusing to manipulate her down with his threats.

"And who do you think you are to advise me? Huh?"

He blinked, stunned she didn't sent the allegation. "What? is it true you're seeing that jerk?"

Her chin jilted stubbornly as she raised it. "Who are you to call him a jerk?"

"Tahti Lee." He yelled.

"What?" She retorted back and he flinched in shock. She could understand why. She'd never raised her voice back at him in the past, but that had changed.

"You're not that kinda girl." He said, in a more relaxed voice, this time. "You must have been so lonely after we broke up, but seeing a playboy like that..."

She walked towards him to point a finger at his chest. "Shut up..." She was saying as he took shaky steps when she neared him. "And leave."

"Tahti."

She hissed furiously and turned to head back into the studio. Her ex boyfriend had more of a bastard blood running through his veins, than Demir ever had in his little finger. How dare he call him a jerk when he was the real piece of trash?